Related Topics

NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - Protesters gathered on Wednesday
outside Fox News Channel to denounce what they claim is its racist
campaign coverage, including a pundit who called Democratic
presidential hopeful Barack Obama a terrorist.

The crowd of some 150 people wielded a petition with more
than 600,000 signatures objecting to news coverage by Fox,
owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp NWSa.N, organizers said.

Some demonstrators held signs that crossed out the
network's "Fair and Balanced" slogan and replaced it with the
words "Fairly Racist!"

Led by activist groups MoveOn.org and ColorOfChange.org,
protesters cited incidents on Fox including an on-screen graphic
calling Michelle Obama "Obama's baby mama" and a pundit who
confused Obama with Osama bin Laden and joked they should both be
assassinated.

Another anchor called a televised fist bump between Obama
and his wife a "terrorist fist jab," they said, and talk show
host Bill O'Reilly discussed calling a "lynching party" to deal
with Michelle Obama after criticizing her patriotism.

"Putting racism on national television and calling it news
is never funny," said Andre Banks of ColorOfChange.

Joining the protest was hip hop star Nas, who said the Fox
coverage inspired a song "Sly Fox" on his new album.

"Fox poisons this country every time they air racist
propaganda and try and call it news," he said.

A spokeswoman for Fox said: "Fox News believes in all
protesters exercising their right to free speech, including Nas,
who has an album to promote."